Newly minted Kings fan here (since 4 pm June 23) was able to watch the game on the Mayors Manor feed. Richards is my favorite NHL player and I was glad to see he played a pretty strong game considering he's never played with the Kings before. I thought he and Brown dominated every shift they had and when they add more playing time together and you add Gagne (who is amazing and unbeliebly fast...skates like the wind and a helluva shot) I think they'll be one of the top lines in the league.
Speaking of Brown, who had a great game, he has some post game commenst on LA Inisder. He said he thought he and Richie had good chemistry and this is part of his comments on the powerplay :

Quote:

One thing, with me and Richards, we talked about the power play and being in front of the net and just getting pucks to the net. Tonight, the goal was a result of him just flicking a puck to me, battling for it and then Slava comes in on the back side and gets the goal. I think, from out power-play standpoint, we need more of that.’’

I was glad to see Richie still likes to quarterback the PP. He did that in Philly too...
I can't wait for him and Gagne to have their first PK breakaway/goal. In 2009 on the PK Richie had 7 shorties and Gags had 4.

I can't wait for Oct 7 when the road to the Cup parade begins. Richie hates the Rangers, plays with extra fire and (I think) has more goals against them than any other teams he's played against. He's put a few shorties past LUnquist...

Oh and he's got a very high hockey IQ and is a real wizard when it come sto passing. Which makes his years with Gagne all the better.

My thoughts:
1. The Richards line looked incredible. I can't wait to see Gagne in there. Richardson seemed to have stepped up his game, must have been last year's playoffs. Richards was just toying with the Phoenix scrubs at times.

2. Loktionov should be on this team. If they don't keep him up it better be for a damn good reason. Nolan had some interesting opportunities - definitely needs to refine his game in the minors. Honestly, I thought Hunter wasn't anything special. I read he was a gritty 3rd/4th line kind of guy but I didn't really see it. It's only been one game though so we'll see.

3. The Stoll line was really lackluster, almost invisible tonight. I guess Clifford was the diamond in the rough. Parse - I don't think he was down right as bad as some have written, but nothing good was there. I think the fact the rest of the team looked good while he didn't just made him stick out negatively.

4. On the defense side of things I thought Voynov looked better than Hickey. Don't get me wrong though, I think Hickey looks to be a very solid defenseman, he just needs more playing time. Voynov needs to get used to the pace of the NHL but he is seriously just about there. Towards the end of the game he got a ton of good looks. He should be on this team.

5. Drewiske and Muzzin were the weak spots on D. Nothing about DD44's game sticks out. Muzzin should be outperforming Voynov and Hickey because of his experience.

well when you see guys like Trent Hunter (who might not have a job) busting his ass, it's annoying to see Parse give a uninspiring effort.

Its Hunter's "game" is to bust his ass. It's not really Parse's game, thus more noticeable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAkings20

Helene

I thought VV was more noticeable going forward (helps that he got first unit PP while Hickey got 4th liners ) But personally think VV still had some holes on the D end, few real bad passes kinda went unnoticed, but coulda burned him bad.

- Loktionov: they need to find a place for this kid. He's not going to supplant Richards or Kopitar but needs a top 6 role. He's not a checker and there's just too much skill there to let him walk. They have to find a way to get him to work on the wing.

- Voynov: Looked confident and poised, I would guess he has the inside track on a roster spot.

- Hickey: I don't want to "declare" anything because he's still pretty young, and Muzzin didn't help his case tonight, but it's starting to look like he's just not going to make it in the NHL as an impact player. He seems to be a step behind, not because he's lazy, just because he's slow, which leads me to...

- Parse: I've thought this for a while but tonight really sealed it for me, he needs to be cut immediately. No heart, no effort, just lazy and no skill to back it up.

- Jones is a big kid.

- Thought it was kinda lame that Murray put Brown & Stoll in the shootout.

Entertaining game for a preseason contest, can't wait to get the season started.

If tonight is any indication, and Doughty is signed before the season starts, then Murray is going have a very tough decision to either keep Voynov up or send him to Manchester.
A kid that young, you can't have him as the 7th d-man. You gotta play him or you're going stunt his growth.

I forgot to mention but the video tribute for all the players lost this offseason was nicely done, and the Kings wives will be collecting donations (technically selling bracelets for $10) to help the families of Lokomotiv.

Still think the best move would be to have Loktionov center a 3rd line with Clifford and Stoll. No use trying to move him to wing when he will be centering that line next season regardless.

Stoll's game is better suited for the wing anyways, less thinking, less defensive responsibility, more room to get his shot off. And he can still take all the faceoffs. And the presence of Clifford on the line gives Lokti a little bit of a bodyguard.

From what I saw last year the Kings have a player who has the potential to be really good for a long time. Let's not ruin him by forcing to change positions.

Still think the best move would be to have Loktionov center a 3rd line with Clifford and Stoll. No use trying to move him to wing when he will be centering that line next season regardless.

Stoll's game is better suited for the wing anyways, less thinking, less defensive responsibility, more room to get his shot off. And he can still take all the faceoffs. And the presence of Clifford on the line gives Lokti a little bit of a bodyguard.

From what I saw last year the Kings have a player who has the potential to be really good for a long time. Let's not ruin him by forcing to change positions.

Hickey - After JJ, thought he was the best defenseman on the ice tonight. Very composed, and in position. He wasn't kidding when he talked about it in his interview with Daryl. Way more physical than I remember him, didn't make any mistakes. His waved off goal was a rocket, that was a borderline interference call. Pogge wasn't going to save that shot either way. A very smart player, I am starting to see the hockey sense I've heard about. Leaps and bounds ahead of a few years ago.

Voinov - right up there with Hickey. Not as composed, but more creative with the puck. Had a lot of nice plays. Only made one or two mistakes, but busted his butt and got back. He needs to shoot a bit more, needs that shot mentality TM is always harping on. Passed up some good opportunities to shoot. Not as physical as Hickey, and relies on his speed more than positioning.

Both these guys are ready, it's going to be a tough call. They were both miles ahead of....

Muzzin and Drewiske - Both need to step on the gas if they are going to make the squad. They looked shaky out there and a step behind all night. Muzzin will stick around in Manchester, but I bet Drewiske is waived. He was a real trooper last year and didn't complain one bit, and he deserves a shot to catch on with someone. He's good enough to be in the NHL, just not with the Kings. Too much competition now.

First liners - Good chemistry between Brown and Richards, you could tell Richardson hasn't really played with them. Didn't stop them from being the dominant line on the ice tonight. One thing about Richards... He seems to have this control over shifts that I haven't seen on the Kings in a long time. It's like he's a quarterback wherever he is on the ice. Made some slick passes and was very dangerous. Brown fits with Richards much better than Kopi, it's easy to see already. Brown and Richards both like to back off in the slot and hang out around the net, while Kopi is a more driving to the middle type of guy. It's hard to explain, I guess they just seem to play with the same mentality. Richardson looked fine, just not as good as he does with Lewis. I think our secondary scoring woes are a thing of the past. With Gagne on this line, they are going to be very dangerous. Richardson paired with Lewis (who I heard really played well) are going to give teams some problems as well.

Second liners - Pretty invisible. Stoll was rusty, although his typical dominant self on face-offs. Clifford was taking some silly penalties. In his defense, this was not a physical game by any stretch. Clifford thrives in intense contests and this wasn't one of them. He did have a fight but it appeared to be him obliging the Phoenix player rather than it being the result of physical play Parse, well, Parse didn't look very good at all. Made a good pass near the end but otherwise wasn't impressive. In fact, I will be surprised if he doesn't lose his job to Loktionov.

3rd/4th lines:

Loktionov - 3rd best forward on the ice in my opinion. Shifty and smart, and very aggressive, great positioning away from the puck. Had an absolute sick dangle he almost scored on. This guy is going to the net and scoring areas, didn't play much on the perimeter. Looks a little bulkier than he has in the past. He really needs to adjust to the wing (or move Stoll there), because he's too talented to leave off the roster. I like Parse and want him to do well, but I'll be pissed if he's on the roster and Loktionov is not. The difference was that obvious tonight.

Nolan - One extreme to another. Make a great play, then make a boneheaded one. I was skeptical when we got him, but I was impressed with his skill. He has some solid hockey sense. With some seasoning, he could easily turn into a solid 3rd liner. Definitely needs work, but he doesn't appear to be the project I thought he would be.

Cliche - Very smart positionally, but not much there offensively. He's a textbook grinder at this point. He will develop into a 4th liner, I'm just not sure if he will be Kings property when he does. Good hockey sense, just lacking a bit of skill.

Kaunisto - Good size, looked a bit nervous out there. His line didn't seem to be generating much out there, so it's hard to get a read on him. Definitely Manchester bound for some seasoning. His tweets are still great.

Hunter - Worked his butt off all night, I don't know if he's going to make the roster though. I'm glad the Kings are giving him a shot and all but I don't think it will be in the cards. It never hurts to have a guy like him around, I just can't see him taking time away from a youngster. He'll only stick if the Kings are set against keeping a youngster as an extra forward.

Meckler - I pull for this guy because he has paid his dues in our system, but I don't see it in the cards for him. He just doesn't have enough of "it" to be in the NHL. Probably going to be a career AHL'er unless he does something special real quick. There is nothing wrong with that at all, and he's a good player - just not good enough for the NHL. A move to Europe wouldn't shock me if he chooses hockey to make his living.

Goalies - Both Quick and Jones were solid. How far this organization has come in the nets almost boggles the mind. Our top 4 goalies in the organization are better than any other team in the league, and its not even close, IMO.

Pogge stole the show tonight, just wow. Made some sick reflex saves. He's going to push Labarbara and Smith, wouldn't be surprised if he takes one of their spots.